By Ekpenyong Emmanuel
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, has disclosed that troops on the frontline neutralized no fewer than 148 terrorists and arrested 258 others.
In addition to the neutralization of terrorists, troops also arrested 51 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued not less than 291 kidnapped hostages. The military also denied oil thieves the estimated sum of over N798 million in the South-South region.
Major General Buba stated that the armed forces are turning the tide against terrorists and violent extremists across the country, with their operations dislocating the support base of the groups. He noted that troops in the North Central theatre of operation intercepted and apprehended two ammunition couriers who collaborate with terrorists.
The arrested persons, identified as Danweri and Abubakar Hamza, were apprehended in Alkaleri LGA of Bauchi State and are cooperating with troops. During the week, troops recovered 146 assorted weapons and 2,599 assorted ammunition, including PKT guns, AK47 rifles, fabricated rifles, and dane guns.
Other items recovered include live cartridges, baofeng radios, vehicles, motorcycles, mobile phones, and cash. Troops in the Niger Delta area also discovered and destroyed 68 crude oil cooking ovens, 13 dugout pits, 41 boats, 45 storage tanks, and 66 illegal refining sites.
The military also recovered 657,470 litres of stolen crude oil, 127,870 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 5,000 litres of DPK. Major General Buba expressed confidence that the troops are winning the war against terrorists and violent extremists, stating that they remain focused on destroying both their military capability and their will to fight.
The successes recorded by the troops during Christmas week are a significant boost to the military’s efforts to combat terrorism and oil theft in the country. With the continued support of the government and the people, the military is poised to build on these victories and bring an end to the scourge of terrorism and oil theft in Nigeria.
